Fantasy Journey to Year 1,000,000,000

"You gave him the isotope?"

"With an appropriate delay built in."

"You weren't ordered to give him the isotope."

"He seemed like the logical candidate. I felt his lust, his greed for material possessions. It was so strong! If he could teach us that-"

"It could work. Let's hope you got the dosage right. The dose response is still extremely variable."

The sun was shining dimly on them throughout the "night". The crescent was facing the sun, but out here, between Mars and Jupiter, the sun was not nearly as bright as it was on Earth. It cast a dim light over the lunar-like landscape.

They resumed their trek towards the tip of the crescent. Suddenly Ensign Clay Raleigh, who was ahead of Taylor, dropped his compression rifle, and grabbed his head. He started screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Raleigh!" he cried.

"What's wrong?" Jennifer yelled.

Raleigh dropped to the ground. His body started to smoke and steam. In seconds, it had been reduced, to a pile of chemicals on the ground.

"What just happened here?" Taylor cried out. He scanned the area for hostiles. Nothing. He turned to Tammad. "Were we just attacked?"

"No," said Tammad sadly. "It was the isotope."

"What isotope?"

"When the United took over our solar system, they embarked on a number of spatial engineering projects, such as the one which transformed this Earth into an ocean, or the one which devastated this landscape." He kicked at a rock. "The byproduct of such spatial engineering produces free radicals, or isotopes. The United do not care about such things, since with their adjustable body types they can adapt to anything. But we of the Expedition are not so lucky. If we come into contact with an isotope, it can shatter our genetic structure."

"So this... wasn't a trap?"

"No," said Tammad. "It was just random chance. It could happen to any of us, at any time. It is a risk we all take."

Taylor knelt down, and sadly looked at the remains of Ensign Raleigh. The only solid part left of him was several platinum ingots.

"Let's hope it doesn't happen to any more of us," he said quietly. Taylor thought for a moment, then walked over to Audrey Spaulding. "Audrey?"

"Yes, Michael?"

"When the Exeter came back to us, or was returned to us, we found eight crew members aboard. All were melted in the same way as Ensign Raleigh," said Taylor. "Could all have them have encountered the isotope in space, at the same time?"

"That seems unlikely, Captain," said Spaulding. "The isotope is not usually so large."

"Then how did those men die? And how did the Exeter get back to Earth, in our time?"

"I don't know," said Captain Spaulding. "Perhaps you can ask the United these questions, when we take their main base at Corta."

They resumed the march.

They were starting to get close to the other tip of the crescent moon. They could see that the United had two defense lines, one at the very tip, and one about a mile in front of it.

As they got closer to the first defense line, Taylor decided to make a battle plan. "We'll go in as two columns, the Expedition on the left, and Survey Service on the right. We-"

"Excuse me, Captain Taylor," said Alex Stone. "May I make an observation?"

"Of course, Colonel Stone," said Taylor.

"The squids are fond of encirclement maneuvers."

"I realize that, Colonel, but we don't have the men to do a full pincer maneuver-"

"No, but if we held four men in reserve, two on each side, we could better protect our flanks from sudden incursions."

Taylor felt all eyes on them. What Stone was saying made sense. And he was saying it in the nicest possible way. And yet... he looked at Jennifer. She was watching him, watching them, taking in every word. Was Audrey Spaulding right? Was he letting his emotions cloud his judgment? What would a commander unhindered by emotion do?"

Taylor took a deep breath. "Alex... that's an excellent idea. You know, I was thinking. Technically, I'm the commander of this task force. But recently someone has been teaching me to delegate. Alex, I'd like you to take command of our forces for this next encounter."

"I would be honored, Michael," said Alex.

Taylor willed himself not to look at Jennifer.

Alex quickly assumed the mantle. "All right, team, this is how we're going to do it-"

Right after the briefing, Audrey Spaulding caught Taylor's eye and gave him a quick nod. He nodded back at her.

The battle went according to plan. The Survey Service and the Expedition attacked. The United responded. Men went down, stunned by blasts. They were safe as long as the United couldn't carry them away. When United were shot, they were blasted into pieces.

Lieutenant Babangida was particularly heroic. He led a group of four men who ran at the enemy positions from the side, yelling and firing. He himself was responsible for blasting four of the squids. Afterwards, Jennifer gave him a great hug.

"That one?"

"Yes, that one. He has an aggressive, warlike spirit."

"I will give him the isotope."

"Try to give him less than you gave Ensign Raleigh."

"If we give too little, the transformation will not occur."

"If we give too much, we end up with a pile of chemicals on the ground."

"I will do my best."

Less than an hour later they neared the other tip of the crescent. They could see squids lined up, row after row of them. There must have been at least 40 of them, guarding a single building at the tip.

"They outnumber us more than two to one," said Taylor. "Any suggestions?"

"Let us draw them out," said Colonel Stone. "We'll make a feint, then pull back, and draw them towards us."

"Will they really fall for that?" Taylor asked.

"They might. The United are quite unpredictable," said Stone.

Obongo Babangida was put in charge of the feint maneuver. He had just spent the last hour talking with Mushi, the talkative young brunette from the Expedition. She had wanted to know anything and everything about him. He found himself talking about his home and family in Nigeria, his first career in the territorial forces of the African Union, and his transition to the Survey Service. He noticed he got more than one uncomfortable glance from Jennifer as she walked with him for over an hour, talking and laughing, but he just shrugged at Jennifer with a helpless expression. What was he supposed to do?

In response, Jennifer gave him a half-playful frown.

Babangida really liked Jennifer. He had never had a white girlfriend before and found Jennifer very attractive. He had mentally thought of her as the Captain's woman, but after their... experience together with the Ascended, Jennifer informed him that was not the case. And when they had sex freely, of their own accord, it was like fireworks! Jennifer screamed, "Take me, Bongo, take me hard!" as he plowed into her, filling her with his seed, just like the first time. She seemed as attracted to him as he was to her.

So there was no need for Jennifer to get jealous of a woman Obongo just met. Was there?

When they got close to the enemy front lines, Mushi finally parted ways with Obongo. But first she gave his hand a warm squeeze and looked him in the eye and wished him good luck. He thanked her, even as she let go. His hand felt warm for a while afterwards, but he didn't pay much attention. He had a battle to fight.

The battle went exactly as Colonel Stone choreographed. Obongo lead eight men in a charge, and then they pulled back under a hail of energy fire. And then the giant squids, who were massed in a perfect defensive position, came out of that position and attacked. For a race of beings with highly advanced consciousness, they didn't seem to have a grasp of basic battle tactics.

Obongo heard them telepathically screaming in his head as they attacked.

"Give us your hate!" one of them yelled into Obongo's head.

"Give us your anger!" another broadcasted to Taylor. Taylor shot the squid, and it burst into pieces.

"Let go!" Taylor heard in his head. He looked around, but couldn't find the source of the mental transmission.

"Give in to your anger!" said the voice. Then Taylor saw it, a squid hiding behind a group of rocks. The squid fired an energy blast at him, just barely missing him. Taylor fired, also missing, but then he carefully adjusted his aim, and blasted it to pieces.

The Expedition and the Survey Service teams closed in on the squids on two sides. It was a massacre. Only two Survey Service men and three members of the Expedition were stunned. Soon the ground was littered with squid bodies.

Taylor frowned as he surveyed the battlefield. He turned to Tammad. "I don't understand any of this. They are supposed to be incredibly smart, right? Why did they make the most obvious battlefield mistake in the world? It was almost as if they wanted to be slaughtered."

"You don't understand," said Tammad. "It is not simply an issue of intelligence, Captain Taylor. It is an alien mentality. It is an alien way of thinking. It cannot be understood by human standards."

"And then there were the voices in our heads," said Doctor McCrae, who had been kneeling down to examine one of the stunned men. "Why were these aliens shouting at us to give in to our anger?"

"They were trying to provoke you into making futile attacks," said Tammad.

Taylor just stared at Tammad. Taylor was having problems believing any of this. "The element you mentioned... would it be in there?" he said, pointing to the building at the tip of the crescent.

"Yes."

The view from the tip of the crescent was as wondrous as the view from the other tip they had landed upon. They got a breathtaking view of the curved shape of the planetoid they were on. Taylor paused for a minute to admire it before entering the building. He found Tammad rummaging around in a room filled with large gleaming containers. They held blue bricks.

"This is it," he said. "Candium, the first of three elements," said Tammad.

Taylor saw him hesitate and frowned. "Is it safe to touch?"

"Certainly."

"Then let's get some and go."

He went back outside, and went over to Jennifer.

She smiled at him. "So how are things, boss?"

Taylor shook his head. "It was too easy, Jennifer. We were outnumbered two to one, and we still beat them."

"You think this is all a trap?" she said.

"Maybe," said Taylor, scanning the horizon around them.

"I don't think Alex would lead us into a trap."

"Oh," said Taylor. "It's Alex now, is it?"

"He's an incredible man, Michael. You saw that yourself," she said, immediately regretting the words as soon as she said it.

Taylor started to frown, when they both heard a cry for help. They turned, to see Obongo Babangida standing on the horizon. He was grabbing his head and screaming. "Help me... I'm... I'm burning... I'm burning up!"

Steam started to fly from his body, and before their eyes his body started to liquefy.

"Obongo!" Jennifer cried.

Babangida tried to speak, but his face melted, along with his body, and he fell to the ground. In moments all that was left was a puddle of liquid on the surface of the small moon.

"Oh my God!" Jennifer cried, racing over to his body. Doctor McCrae got there a moment later. "Don't touch anything," he said, scanning the remains.

"Doctor?" said Taylor.

"I detect a foreign substance in this... soup that used to be our security officer."

"It is the isotope. I would advise you not to touch it," said Tammad.

"What is going on here?" said Taylor.

"I have told you. There are free standing radicals floating around the solar system. Isotopes. If you come into contact with them, you die."

"Have you lost any men to this isotope?"

"Many," said Tammad. "We accept this reluctantly as the cost of continuing our resistance."

Some of Taylor's anger started to deflate. "And you can't... detect or defend against this isotope?"

"No. It cannot be defended against, only avoided. And it can be detected, but you have to understand; it moves incredibly fast. In the time I have spent explaining this, an isotope could have flown through this small moon twice, back and forth." Tammad paused. "I am sorry for the loss of your crewman."

"My second crewman," said Taylor. Ensign Raleigh was the first. He turned to look at Jennifer, but she was facing away from everyone, sobbing softly.

"You gave him too much of the isotope."

"We always give too much or too little. It is very hard to get consistent results."

"We get better results when it is administered internally."

"It is harder to get the cooperation needed to administer it internally."

"Try harder."

The door to Jennifer's quarters on the Judicator buzzed.

Then it buzzed again. "Go away."

"Jennifer, it's me."

She sighed. "Enter."

Captain Michael Taylor entered her quarters. He saw immediately that her eyes were red from crying.

"What is it?" she said.

"Jennifer... I'm so sorry," said Taylor. He took her in his arms.

She struggled against him for a long moment. "No, you're not sorry!" she cried. "You're happy! You hated Obongo from the moment we... we...." She still couldn't say it.

Taylor hugged her tightly as she sobbed. "I was angry, for a long while," he said. "I was angry... because I love you."

Jennifer was sobbing wildly now. Her breasts heaved against his chest.

"But I know you don't love me," said Taylor. "I have accepted that, now. Obongo was a good man. I can't say I knew him well... except to say that he threw a good right hook."

Jennifer laughed unexpectedly, with tears streaming from her eyes.

"But above all he was my crewman. Just like you. I was responsible for him, and I feel his loss," said Taylor. He looked into her eyes. "And I feel your loss for him, too."

Jennifer looked at Taylor in a new light. "That's... very kind of you to say, Captain."

"Would... would you like me to stay and talk for a while?"

Jennifer shook her head. She didn't really want to talk about Obongo. Not with Taylor. It would be too... awkward. "No, but thank you." There was gratitude in her eyes now. "I think I just want to be alone now."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Taylor turned and went to the cabin door.

"And Captain?"

Taylor turned.

"Thank you," said Jennifer.

Taylor smiled and left.

Not ten minutes later there was another buzz at her door. "Michael, I really don't want to talk right now," said Jennifer, sitting up in bed. She appreciated his concern, but was beginning to wonder if there was something more to his visits than sympathy.

"It's not Michael. It's Alex."

"Alex! Oh, come in," said Jennifer, even before she had thought about it.

The door opened, and Colonel Alex Stone stood there.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure."

Stone came in and sat down on her bed next to her. "How are you coping?"

"As best I can, I suppose."

"It's always painful losing someone you love."

"Have you... have you lost people you loved?" Jennifer asked.

"Of course," said Stone. "Were you together long?"

"Not really. Kind of. It's complicated," said Jennifer, not sure how to count the time they had spent in the virtual layer. Had it been two and a half hours, or two and a half months? It felt like a little of both.

She looked at Alex. He was almost a stranger, but he was kind, and warm, and she instinctively felt she could tell him things she couldn't tell Michael. "Obongo and I... we... got to know each other... during an experiment."

"An experiment?"

"We were taken captive by Ascended beings in the year eight million. They... encouraged Obongo and I to... physically... couple with each other, in front of Michael and other crewmembers." It was hard to say it, even to Alex.

"Oh, that... that must have been very difficult for you!" said Alex.

"Yes," Jennifer sniffled. Alex was so understanding, so empathic!

Alex said, "Why did they make you two... do what you did?"

"They said they were studying the concept of restraint." She gave a sad smile. "We didn't show much of it that day." She remembered Obongo pumping between her legs, and her orgasmic groans. Actually, we didn't show any at all.

"That must have been very traumatic... for all of you."

"It was," said Jennifer. "And yet, as Obongo was making love to me, even as Captain Taylor was watching, seething with jealousy... I realized that part of it felt good. Really good." She paused, looking down into her hands. "At... at first I thought it was a purely physical thing. Obongo has... had, a big chest, big shoulders, big arms... well, you saw him. He had a big... a big everything."

She gave Alex a nervous smile. Why was she telling him these things? Because she needed to tell someone, and she could never tell Michael.

"Afterwards, when we got back to the ship, I talked to Obongo, and discovered that despite the humiliation, he also... felt something for me," said Jennifer. "We started seeing each other, quietly. I began to discover another side to him. He wasn't just handsome, he was thoughtful, and kind, and decent. But... but we couldn't be open about our relationship because... because...."

"Because of Michael?" said Alex.

"Was it that obvious?" Jennifer laughed nervously.

"Just a little," said Alex. "And so were you and the Captain formerly....?"

"No. Never. Well, there was this time in a cave... we were under stress, and I... I told him I loved him, but it never went any farther than that... and then Michael, he got the wrong idea-"

"The idea that when you told him you loved him, it meant that you loved him," said Alex with a wry smile. He looks so handsome when he smiled at her!

"Yeah," said Jennifer. Alex was so easy to talk to. "I kept him at bay by telling him I couldn't, not as long as I was with Michael-"

"You kept Michael at bay by telling him you were with Michael?"

"Sorry," Jennifer laughed again. "My husband, my ex-husband, was also named Michael."

"Captain Taylor must have loved that."

"Yes, every time I spoke of my Michael I always saw a little cringe in his eyes. Sometimes I... I even enjoyed it," said Jennifer, feeling very guilty about it. "Anyway, I had already divorced Michael, but the other Michael, Captain Taylor, didn't know. So, to keep his feelings from being hurt-"

"You told him you couldn't be with him because you were a married woman," said Alex.

"Yeah," said Jennifer. "But then he found out, about me and Bongo, in the worst possible way, in front of everyone-" she broke off, and started sobbing. "What am I doing? I should be crying for Bongo, not for Michael or myself!"

"Poor Jennifer," said Alex, taking her in his arms. "You lead such a difficult life. You're always going to hurt the men around you."

"W-why?" Jennifer asked."

"Because you're so beautiful, and everyone always falls in love with a beautiful woman."

Jennifer's jaw dropped open, and she looked into Alex's eyes; and he leaned forward and kissed her; and despite the emotional trauma she was going through, she hugged him, and kissed him back.

And suddenly, the loss of Obongo didn't feel quite as acute as it did just a minute ago.

Their next destination was another small, artificial planetoid named Sorshim, following Tammad and his men who were flying in small space bubbles ahead of them. But they didn't know exactly where they were going yet, because Sorshim actually moved. Tammad warned Taylor that it might take a few days to find it.

As they waited, Taylor talked to Victor in his command office.

"If you believe it's a trap, why are we going to this... Sorshim?" Victor asked.

"Because I don't know any other way of breaching the defenses of the United," said Taylor. "But I don't trust this Expedition. They want something from us, something they're not telling us. I can feel it."

Victor's eyebrows narrowed and he frowned. "Michael, you say you're suspicious because you defeated the United too easily. Now let me ask you a question: if I dropped you with a concussion pistol in the middle of the African savannah, one filled with lions and tigers, how long would you last?" Victor asked.

"Not very long."

"But why? You have the more advanced weaponry; and surely you are more evolved than lions and tigers."

"I get your point," said Taylor. "That evolution doesn't necessary go together with military prowess. But... there was just something odd about it. They were shouting at us, Victor. Shouting at us, practically begging us to show them aggression. It was as if they wanted to be killed."

"I don't know, Michael. We're talking about an alien psychology, an alien psychology 500,000,000 years in the future. Speaking realistically, it's amazing we can even understand them at all." Victor paused. "If you don't trust the expedition, what about Colonel Alex Stone?"

"I don't know," said Taylor. "He did save my life, apparently."

"Well, we're just going to have to tack on the word apparently to everything that happens to us, aren't we?" Victor grinned. "But what do your instincts tell you about him?"

"My instincts? I don't know. That he's a good man," said Taylor.

"And what about Captain Audrey Spaulding?"

"A good woman. A very good woman," said Taylor.

"So how do you explain it if a good man and a very good woman are in league with the Expedition, conspiring to do something terrible to us?"

"I can't. Not yet," said Taylor. "We have recovered one of the three elements, and by tomorrow we should be at the location of the second one. Hopefully the truth will reveal itself soon enough."

"The truth always reveals itself, sooner or later," said Victor. "But in time to do something about it? Not often enough," he said, smiling thinly.

Two days later, Jennifer and Alex Stone were having lunch in the cafeteria. Victor and Taylor were sitting two tables away.

"Jennifer seems to have recovered from her loss," Victor observed.

"Yes, she has," said Taylor. He looked at Jennifer, who was smiling and laughing with Alex at the other table. "And in record time too."

"Oh, jealousy doesn't become you Michael," said Victor.

"Victor, Jennifer told me she was in love with me, but wouldn't have me because she was married. Then I find out that she's no longer married and with Obongo. That was difficult, but I could accept that," said Taylor. "And now, Obongo's body isn't even cold, and she's chatting it up with Alex Stone, apparently without a care in the world."

"Michael, sometimes when people are suffering an acute loss, they need the company of others. It's part of the recovery process."

"Yeah," said Taylor, remembering how Jennifer had specifically rejected his company. Jennifer, it would seem wanted the company of anyone but him. "But it also makes them vulnerable. Easy to take advantage of."

"Is that what concerns you, Michael? That Alex Stone will take advantage of her? Or that you can't?" said Victor. If anyone else had said that, it would have come as a stinging rebuke.

But Taylor just let it slide over him. As he watched Jennifer, his heart sank.

She was smiling at Alex Stone. Giving him her little smile, the special one that was meant for him. Whenever he said something sarcastic she would laugh, and give him that "I find you so amusing and endearing look" that used to be reserved only for him. Jennifer was leaning forward, almost leaning into Alex. Her tight uniform showed the wonderful curve of her big melons. Her luscious long black hair was draped on either side of her shoulder. She was so beautiful. So darling. And it felt like every other man could have her... except him.

And then, Taylor thought Jennifer looked back at him, out of the corner of her eye, for just the briefest of moments. She looked, and she must have seen the pain and agony in his face, and then she... she... she looked back at Alex and laughed.

Jennifer was feeling very unsure of herself. Two nights ago Alex had come to her quarters. He had helped ease her pain. They had kissed, but nothing else had happened beyond that. She respected him for that. She had fallen asleep in his arms, and he was gone when she awoke in the morning.

They started having meals with each other, as they waited for the Expedition to locate Sorshim. Alex was married, but it didn't seem to be a barrier since he had lived out his entire life with his wife, at least, as far as she knew. And besides, that was over 500,000,000 years ago. That was ancient history. Right?

Alex was so handsome, and dashing, and understanding and... and....

Jennifer had been having visions. Or vivid daydreams. She didn't know what to call them.

They were snippets, not lasting more than five seconds in length. But she was having them more and more frequently, ever since the night she had spent with Alex.

And they were all about one topic: making love to Alex.

They were nude. Alex was on top of her. He slid inside of her slowly, ever so slowly. Jennifer felt every move of his organ as he penetrated her fully.

"Tammad said he thinks he has finally located Sorshim," said Alex.

"Oh, that's great," said Jennifer, suddenly jolted back into awareness.

"Yes, he says we can find the second element there, so he thinks."

"I love you," Alex said, as he slowly moved his firm penis in and out of her moist vagina. "I love you, Jennifer."

She stared back at him with wide eyes, and gasped almost imperceptibly.

"The second element is called Tarcarti," said Alex. "It is the second of the three elements we need to unlock the defense system around Corta."

"That's really interesting," said Jennifer, realizing she was starting to break out into a sweat.

Jennifer was on her knees in front of him. "Please let me do this. Please."

Alex nodded.

She took his organ in her mouth and started to suck him. A thrill permeated her body as she serviced the man she loved.

"The United have an impenetrable forcefield around Corta, but anyone with the right key can pass through it," said Alex. "Our key will be a combination of these three elements."

"Fascinating," said Jennifer, struggling to remain calm.

Alex thrusted between her legs... she felt his hardness inside her... Jennifer sucking on his shaft... Alex moaning in pleasure....

"Once we breach the shield, we can shut down the mechanism controlling the Black Box," said Alex.

"Success!" Jennifer grinned nervously.

Alex deep inside of her, between her legs... the head of Alex's penis on her lips and tongue... Alex thrusting deeply between her legs.... the head of his organ twitching on her tongue, twitching, twitching... erupting!

Jennifer suddenly sat upright. Her fork clattered to the floor. She felt all eyes on her, including Taylor's.

"Are you all right, Jennifer?" Alex asked.

"I... yeah," said Jennifer. "I just realized something I forgot in my quarters. I have to go and get it." She got up and walked out of there on slightly unsteady legs.

"Victor."

"Not Victor."

"Why?"

"He could be more useful as an Encourager."

"You like him."

"He is rather pleasant, but I still think he would be better suited to be an Encourager than a gene donor."

"His love for science is great."

"So is Doctor Bruce Anderson's."

"As good as Victor's?"

"Almost."

"All right. Give him five percent less than you gave Babangida."

"Five percent less and the isotope may not work."

"The dose you gave Babangida turned him into a pool of sludge."

"The dose response varies wildly, from individual to individual. You know that."

"Give him two percent less."

"Ah.. ah... ah... ah...."

Taylor was dreaming.

He was dreaming of sex with Jennifer.

But the oddest part was, he wasn't the one having sex with her.

It was Obongo.

Michael watched Obongo insert his thick black tool into the slit between Jennifer's legs. Jennifer's pubic hair was dark, but compared to the color of Obongo's penis it might as well have been vanilla.

Taylor watched as her labial lips stretched to accommodate his huge organ. The muscles in Obongo's ass clenched and unclenched mightily as he worked slowly and methodically to inseminate the woman Taylor loved.

Jennifer gave Obongo her radiant smile. The secret smile that used to be reserved for him. "I love having you inside me," she whispered, looking into his dark eyes.

Obongo smiled back at her, his face a mask of effort and affection.

But then something changed. Obongo's body became wetter, slimier. His arms and legs were replaced by tentacles. And his head became one big giant eye. A giant eye which stared wordlessly at Jennifer.

Jennifer screamed, and tried to get up, but she was impaled. "Let me go, let me go!" she cried.

And then Taylor felt/heard a splat! sound, and the squid released inside of her, and Jennifer looked down at her belly in horror-

Taylor sat upright in his bed. Why in the world would he have a dream like that?

Sorshim was the oddest thing Taylor had ever seen. It was shaped like a rod, a long, thin cylinder, with a hollow interior. It was five miles in diameter, and 22 miles long.

"And let me guess," said Taylor. "What we need is at one end, but we have to enter at the other."

"I would not advise a landing at the reinforced end," said Tammad. "Your shuttle would be destroyed before it could land."

"Why would they leave one end unguarded?" Taylor asked.

"It is their psychology," said Tammad. "They all travel by bubble. They have been doing so for millions of years. They cannot conceive of someone walking a half mile, much less 22. It does not seem possible to them."

"I see," said Taylor. "So I guess we go down."

Sorshim was... odd.

The interior of the rod consisted of a floor of giant orange and white squares. Every time they stepped on a square, it glowed. There was vegetation, of a sort, green vines that went above their head and had white glowing spheres on top of them, which provided light.​